Attorney General Schimel: Wall was in best spot to protect youth

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- The Latest on former Wisconsin Department of Corrections Secretary Ed Wall's new book (all times local):

1 p.m.

Attorney General Brad Schimel says he had to fire a disgruntled former state prison director because he tried to get around the state's open records law.

Ed Wall resigned as prisons secretary in 2016 amid allegations of widespread abuse at the state's youth prison. He tried to get his old job back at the state Justice Department but Schimel fired him after he suggested Walker chief-of-staff Rich Zipperer shred a letter asking for help in getting the job back.

Wall released a book Friday accusing the Justice Department of doing a poor job of investigating problems at the youth prison and Walker and Schimel drove him to put a gun in his mouth.

Schimel said in a statement that he had to fire Wall because his "efforts to circumvent public records law was egregious." He added that Wall was in the best position to protect youth at the prison.

Schimel issued a statement earlier Friday saying he hopes Wall gets the help he needs.

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12:55 p.m.

Attorney General Brad Schimel says he hopes a disgruntled former state prison director who wrote a book blaming Schimel and Gov. Scott Walker for pushing him to the edge of suicide gets help.

Ed Wall resigned as prisons secretary in 2016 amid allegations of widespread abuse at the state's youth prison. He tried to get his old job back at the state Justice Department but Schimel fired him after he suggested Walker chief-of-staff Rich Zipperer shred a letter asking for help in getting the job back.

Wall released a book Friday saying that Walker and Schimel drove him to put a gun in his mouth.

Walker's office has called the allegations baseless. Schimel issued a one-sentence statement saying he hopes Wall gets the help and care he needs.

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9:30 a.m.

Gov. Scott Walker's spokeswoman is calling accusations in former state prison secretary Ed Wall's new book baseless.

Wall resigned as secretary in 2016 amid allegations of widespread abuse at the state's youth prison. He tried to get his old job at the state Justice Department back but Attorney General Brad Schimel fired him after he suggested Walker chief-of-staff Rich Zipperer shred a letter he wrote to him asking for help getting the job back.

Wall wrote in his new book, "Unethical," that Walker and Schimel drove him to the brink of suicide. He adds that Walker told him in a private meeting that he feared President Donald Trump would destroy the GOP.

Walker spokeswoman Amy Hasenberg said in an email to The Associated Press that Wall's allegations are false attacks coming from someone fired from DOJ for asking a state worker to break the law.

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8:40 a.m.

A former Wisconsin prisons secretary says in a new book that Gov. Scott Walker and Attorney General Brad Schimel drove him to the brink of suicide.

State law permitted Wall to return to his previous job as a state Department of Justice administrator. Schimel gave him his job back but demoted him and placed him on leave.

Ed Wall writes in his new book, "Unethical," that he was so depressed he couldn't return to DOJ that he put his gun in his mouth. He wrote that he wanted Walker and Schimel to know how badly they had hurt him.